


The Plague

by Jkit45



Series: Nuggets of Space Adventure [1]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/F, F/M, dlc we never got, im in MEA too deep, is what ryder does best, quarian ark, send help, stupid humor in serious situations, welp i wrote a fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-20 08:34:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13713921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jkit45/pseuds/Jkit45
Summary: After receiving a call from APEX, Ryder and the crew of the Tempest travel to Elaaden. Upon arrival, they discover that refugees have escaped from the quarantined ark, Keelah Si'yah. As the mysterious illness rips through Heleus, Ryder and her crew rush for answers and a cure.**Series is not in order, the fics stand alone**





	1. Chapter 1

**The Plague**

**(Special thanks to Fade-Touched-Eezo for helping me with this and getting my hot mess of a self to focus and create an outline! Make sure to check out her Vetryder fanfic: _And All These Scattered Pieces_ available on AO3 . ) **

**After receiving a call from APEX, Ryder and the crew of the _Tempest_ travel to Elaaden. Upon arrival, they discover that refugees have escaped from the quarantined ark, _Keelah Si'yah._ As the mysterious illness rips through Heleus, Ryder and her crew rush for answers and a cure. **

**(A Mass Effect: Andromeda fanfiction about the possible ramifications of _Keelah Si’yah’s_ messy arrival. Please note, this story is being written when DLC or continued plot _for Mass Effect: Andromeda_ is a long way off/unlikely. So It could easily become irrelevant to canon plot if that changes. This exists in the same universe as _Eos Nuggets_ but they stand alone from each other). **

**Chapter 1:**

“This is good.” Ryder spoke around a cheekfull of food. Vetra smiled in relief. Despite claiming that she’d long-since stopped beating herself up over the steak incident, she was staring Ryder down with her mandibles clenched on her face.

              “I’m glad it’s better than the steak.” Vetra took a spoon of her cereal and let her mandibles fall normally. A flashlight on the table, shining at the ceiling of her cabin in place of the candles which Scott ended up needing for his own dating life, “Sorry it came out of the microwave.”

              Ryder scoffed, going for another bite of what was supposed to be macaroni and cheese, “This is all mom fed us. She didn’t cook.” Even if it didn’t taste like what mac and cheese was supposed to, it wasn’t necessarily bad. Maybe it was one of those acquired taste things—eating the stuff that came frozen on plastic trays. Ellen screaming up the stairs at the old summer beach house that dinner was ready and plopping three _Lean Cuisines_ on the table.

              “Well it was a little easier once I read the instructions on the box.”

              “The steak didn’t have instructions?”  Ryder smirked, “Just kidding. I still loved that you made me dinner, you know. Even if it didn’t…turn out.”

              Vetra chewed her cereal. She ate it mixed into a bland dextro nutrient paste which resembled yogurt and was the main staple of her diet with the lack of locations to raise dextro food in Andromeda, “I found them on the extranet—you know what they say about not trusting everything you read on there. Especially when a volus is writing about human tastes. Somehow I don’t think they eat cow.”

              The two laughed, but Ryder looked at Vetra’s soggy cereal mixed into the grey slurry, “You must be getting sick of that all the time.”  

              “Mostly eat it. Turians aren’t into fancy food like you humans and asari. We eat to survive.”

              Ryder grinned, “Don’t give me that, Ms. Fancy Soap and every box of Blast-Os in Heleus!”

              Vetra’s eyes twinkled with amusement, “Alright, fine. Sometimes.”

              “I’m going to find you better dextro food.” Ryder had been actively searching, but it was hard to come about aside from the nutrient paste and ration bars. Frankly, she lived on similar things: ration bars and pastes specifically made to give humans the protein profile they needed. Papery, crunchy cakes which would puff up in her stomach to make her feel satiated. Heleus wasn’t known for its fine eating, but Ryder was never much of a foodie.

              Vetra rumbled at that, “At least I have Blast-Os.”

              If they were back in the Milky Way there was an unlimited number of options for date nights, but in Andromeda it was different. They had to get creative, “We should go sledding at Voeld.”

              Vetra did what Ryder took as the turian version of nose crinkling. Her brows furrowed and mouth open with mandibles flared out. A face of disgust, “It’s cold.”

              “It would be fun. Ride some garbage can lids—”

              “Sounds cold. Might as well roll in the snow while we’re at it.” Vetra said it like she was making a joke.

              “That’s a thing people do.” Ryder shrugged.

              “Seriously?”

              “Yes! What’s your vote for the next date?”

              “Hey. I like this.” Vetra motioned around Ryder’s quarters, “Candlelight. Sort of.  A nice view. Warm. _Privacy. Just us_.” She was feigning focus on eating her dinner but the innuendo in that flanging voice could kill a woman.

              “Maybe Sloane would let us barrow the nice bathtub she has. Turian sized.” She teased.

              Vetra answered calmly:  “It would need a flame thrower before we _touched_ it.”

              Ryder laughed, wracking her brain. Not that she minded what she and Vetra did on their date nights—in fact, she reveled in the rare occasion she and Vetra had a whole private evening to themselves—she just grew up on the Citadel. And the Citadel meant long romantic walks down the strip and hours looking at storefront windows. You could spend a lifetime there and never run out of places to get lost,  “Hey. Okay. Seriously. How about I take you out and find you some nice turian food? They are working on a restaurant on the Nexus.”

              Vetra smiled, “That one I like. Is the flashlight candle okay, I know it’s kind of--”

              “Vetra.” Ryder grinned, “Stop worrying about that stuff. It’s perfect.”

              “Right. I just… like it to look like it does in the vids.”

              “It does. A little.” Ryder still grinned, “It’s romantic.”

              “You really want to sled?”

              “Not particularly. This is better.”

              Vetra set her spoon in her bowl. Ryder reached out for her hand, taking it in both of hers and running fingertips over Vetra’s blunted talons—smooth and warm. She let Ryder rub her hand between hers. The skin on her fingers was reminiscent of soft leather, textured like snake skin. Vetra leaned across the table, pressing her forehead against Ryder’s.

              “I missed this.” She rumbled, “It’s been too long since we’ve had a night alone.”

              “You’re telling me.” Ryder cupped her face, using her thumbs to meet Vetra’s affectionate mandible flicks.

              SAM flickered to life at his node on her desk, spilling blue light across the otherwise dim room. Ryder startled and pulled back from Vetra, “Hey, SAM? Want to beat it for the night? Take the night off?”

              _“Will do, Ryder.”_ He hummed from the node rather than into her head, _“But first I have an important message from Kandros and APEX. He says it’s urgent, and he needs to be patched through to you immediately.”_

              She sighed, casting an apologetic glance at Vetra who’d stood to gather their dishes from the table, “Sorry.” She muttered, “I’m sorry. If it’s Kandros I should probably take it. He never calls us.”

              “I agree. Probably important.”  Vetra’s voice was as bright as it has been before interruption,  “Comes with the job and all. I’ll let you two talk. Page me when it’s over?” And with that trailed her fingers over Ryder’s thigh on her way out the door.

              _Fuck this._

              Ryder sighed and settled herself into her desk chair. SAM beat her to the selection on the computer to bring up the dialogue box where Kandros appeared.

              He looked tired, stressed, mandibles against his face, “ _Pathfinder._ ” He rumbled.

              “Kandros. How are you?” She remembered she was braless and wearing a black lace tank top. Ryder rested one had on her chest and reached behind her with the other, trying to nonchalantly shrug her hoodie over her shoulders.

              He stared behind her, _“Flashlight? Your ship power out?”_

              “Uh. No, that’s a candle right now. What’s happening?”   

              _“Elaaden. I’ve been here with APEX for two days at the outpost. Turns out quarians were buried here a day before we arrived.”_

“Quarians are _where_?”

              _“Buried. At Elaaden. Three days ago.”_

              Ryder pinched the bridge of her nose. The ark was quarantined but the exact location was unknown as far as she was aware. Sarissa and Avitus worked on it near constantly for the past three weeks, “How? How did quarians get off the ark? Why didn’t we know?”

              _“Some…people have decided that the possibility of an infectious disease on the quarian ark would be upsetting to the public and possibly panic them if they were told.”_ Kandros growled, and she knew exactly which two politicians he referred to by saying ‘people’

“I got the same memo and Addison wouldn’t hear any other reasoning.” Ryder sighed. This was exactly the problem with secrets like this—the outpost likely hadn’t realized there was any problem with quarian refugees,  “So buried. They’re dead, then?”

              “ _Died of some viral upper respiratory disease a few hours after they arrived_.” Kandros told her, _“But they had busted suits and quarians have no immune systems. Respiratory disease is one of the main causes of death for quarians with broken suits. The outpost doctors thought little of it.”_

              “Shit, Kandros.”

              _“There is a silver lining! Whatever the virus is, we’re picking up very little about it on scans, but it seems that it shouldn’t be dangerous to those with healthy immune systems.”_

“Still…” Ryder pressed her face into her hand again. She was too tired to think about all of the ramifications of this, “Does Addison know?”

_“Yes. You’re the closest Pathfinder and she requested your help. How fast can you get to Elaaden?”_

“Soon. I’ll tell Kallo to reroute.” She sighed. Drack was on Elaaden anyway, working with Morda and trying to help keep the peace at the krogan colony. They needed to pick him up at some point, “Are you…feeling okay? The colonists?”

              _“Well. Everyone’s in fine health as far as we know here. Quarians with ruptured suits. Quarians.”_ He harped, _“Maybe it’s not as bad as we were thinking.”_

              Meaning this could be one of the first times they got legitimately lucky since arriving in Heleus. The first time where something worked out better than they thought it might, “I have a SAM.” He could protect her just as he had with the Dr. Kennedy situation, “And he can analyze the scans.”

              _“Was hoping you would say that. Sorry to interrupt your…”_ Kandros took a moment, as if digging for the right word, _“nice evening. I’ll handle Addison. But it looks like we’re stuck here until your SAM gets a scan._ ”

“Alright. Hang in there. We’ll come get you.” A knot of dread in her stomach. All sorts of horror vids about massive outbreaks— those were Scott’s favorites— the ones with buckets of fake blood flung around hospital sets.

              She pushed the thoughts aside to give Kandros her best smile and went about waking Kallo.

              By the time they’d had an impromptu third shift meeting full of a tired  crew, re-directed the ship and received vidcalls from both Addison and Tann reiterating that the Elaaden outpost was to be quarantined until proper scans were taken, time to sleep before landing was almost gone, and Vetra hadn’t picked up when she sent a message to her omnitool.

              _Because she’s probably asleep by now._ Ryder realized and made her way to the armory. She knocked lightly on the door, which opened for her. Vetra had jumped up from her cot, “Sorry, Ryder. Is everything okay?”

              “Everything is fine.” She closed the door behind her, “ Mind if I join you?”

              “Oh, shit. Sorry. The notifications got turned off.” She grappled with her omnitool.

              “Don’t worry.” Ryder yawned, “Sleep while we can, I guess.”

              “So much for a night off.” Vetra lay back down, pressing against the wall where her cot was to make as much room as she could for Ryder. She raised the blanket up of her.

              “Thanks.” Ryder crawled under, Vetra’s head lulled against her shoulder. She kissed the turian on the temple. Was that called a ‘temple’ on a turian? A question for another time.

              “You’re going to walk out there into the outpost full of germs?” Vetra was trying to be humorous, but Ryder heard the unease in her voice.

              “I’ve got SAM. I’ll be okay.” She assured her, “This will be fine. All the scans say it’s no big deal unless you’re a quarian.”

              “Famous last words.” She drawled.

              “Don’t jinx it, Nyx.”

              “Sorry.”

              Elaaden was as bright and hot as ever, a stark difference to the cool, comforting dark in Vetra’s armory.

              Her omnitool chimed, “Kandros? Just landed and coming over.”

              _“We’re going to need Lexi. One of the colonists looks like he took a fall off a ladder—he’s in bad shape.”_

              With Lexi and Liam set to handle whatever situation had occurred from the hazards of working in high places, Ryder went about meeting with the antsy APEX members.

They’d occupied a room in the outpost. Cots set up and weapons stacked on a desk. Clothes were rumpled and sandy, and the asari with them shifted her weight back and forth, staring out the window into the heat mirages raising off the dunes. A second desk with a pillow and blanket spread over the top. The stale, grimy smell of too many bodies crammed in too small of a space.

“We were supposed to head back to the Nexus days ago.” Lieutenant Sajax lamented, she bounced her leg, “Say people used to stay on one planet their whole lives. How the hell did anything get done?” Caging APEX members in an outpost quarantine was clearly not conductive to their well beings, “Damn politicians and their secrets could have really put us at risk here.”

              Kandros heaved a sigh, holding his arms out, “Well?”

              It took Ryder a moment that he was anxiously awaiting her scan. The Lieutenant and another asari member of his team to whom Ryder had been yet to be formally introduced watched. She took a breath, pulled up her scanner, and captured Kandros in the rays of light.

              Immediately SAM came back with the result.

              _“Security Director Kandros, as well as the atmosphere around you, shows airborne viral presence. Though this virus is not catalogued in any database I can find, the most similar seems to be an angaran ‘common cold’ ailment.”_

Kandros looked like he’d just been hit, “What does that mean?”

              _“It means that while you’ve been exposed to an unknown virus, the closest relation of the virus is a very benign organism existing in scans of all angara we’ve seen.”_

“So not as bad as we thought?” Kandros heaved a breath.

              _“Likely not. I cannot make a clear assessment based on the lack of data of this particular organism. But it’s likely most angara will be have at least a secondary exposure response from the protein structure found on the bilipid envelope—”_

              “I’m not a doctor, SAM.” Sajax looked and sounded like she hadn’t slept in several days.

              _“My apologies, Lieutenant. The angara exist with a similar, harmless virus in their population. They have long since developed an immunity, and thus have usable antibodies due to the similarity.”_

              “You think this is from the angara?” Ryder didn’t like where this was leading.

              _“Unlikely. The DNA within the envelope is more similar to that of viral material found in the Milky Way. Similarities on the envelope proteins are coincidental.”_

Okay, well at least that eliminated the idea of the Roekaar using biological warfare against them in this instance.

              “So what do we do?” Kandros sighed.

              “Sit tight, I guess.” Ryder frowned, “Until we can figure this out.”

              “I’ve got to take a walk.” Lieutenant Sajax stood so aggressively she almost overturned the lightweight cot. She marched to Ryder, nodded to her, then sidestepped past.

              “I’m going with her.” The asari from the window turned on her heel and marched out.

              “My team isn’t used to sitting. Especially given these circumstances.” Kandros clasped his hands behind his back, stretching his spine. Turians especially didn’t do dirty nor idol well.

              “Don’t blame them.” Ryder couldn’t imagine what they were feeling—trapped here and unsure what they’d been exposed to.

              Lexi had stabilized the man in the med bay. Ryder watched her emerge from the room, peeling off a blood splattered smock and stuffing it into the biological contaminants trash can outside of the medical room. She left on her respirator, peering behind the face shield at Ryder, “How is he?” She asked, uneasily eyeing the blood.

              “Broken ribs, took a hard fall—no one saw him do it. He’s on a ventilator but it looks like he’s done some damage to his lungs. Should recover.” Lexi sighed, “But what did you find?” Liam joined her, tearing off his own smock and gloves.

              Ryder shared what SAM forwarded to her with Lexi, who begun to read through the full results of his scans, “Well, looks like my patient was infected too, in that case.”

              “What happens now? We quarantine this outpost until this thing runs its course?”

              “Sounds like that might be the only choice.” Lexi told her, “But word is that the krogan are staying holed up until whatever this is blows over.”

              “Great.” The Nexus was growing to depend on the protection of the krogan at the nearby New Tuchanka. Ryder’s omnitool pinged. From Vetra who was trading at the Exile camp several kilometers away. She would have to wait a minute.

              “Can you blame them?”

              Fair. Ryder guessed she couldn’t, “Guess Drack isn’t going to be rejoining us right now.”

              “Probably better if he keeps his people calm over there. This has mass panic written all over it.”            

              “Let’s stay positive.” Ryder decided, Lexi nodded along with her.

              “I’ll be here.” She said, “Making sure he stays stable for the time being, and see what he actually did. At least we got his nose bleed to stop. But we’ve got to start pulling records. There’s no telling how far people from this outpost have traveled before Kandros realized that quarians had been here.”

              “You’re telling me.” The mound of leads to follow was overwhelming, “Let’s stay positive.” She repeated, “Looks like it could all amount to nothing, remember?”

              Lexi didn’t reply to her, instead ducked back inside the hospital room. Muffled exchanges between her and the outpost medic. Ryder’s omnitool pinged again, this time Vetra was calling.

              Ryder picked up, “What’s wrong?”

              _“Ryder there’s a big problem here.”_

 _“Oh, goddess.”_ The sound of what she assumed was Peebee vomiting and Vetra saying her name.

              _“We need you!”_

“What’s going on? Are you okay?” Sweat prickled her back, heart thumping in her throat, “Vetra?”

              _“Quarians. Dead quarians. Sick dead quarians—”_

 _“Really, really sick!”_ Peebee proclaimed, voice ragged. 

              Ryder heaved a breath. So okay. Vetra and Peebee hadn’t been knifed or something in a trade deal gone bad as she’d initially feared at the sound of Vetra’s voice, “Okay. Are you guys okay? I’m coming.”

“We’re…okay.”

She forwarded the scan results from SAM to Vetra, hoping they would quell some of her and Peebee’s worries. _So much for a quarantine._  

              She found Vetra and Peebee standing several meters back from Cora who, based on body language, was doing her best the settle the two women standing in the shade. She was motioning down with her hands, but noticeably keeping her distance from them.

              “What happened?” Ryder asked.

              “We walked into the room with the bodies.” Peebee hung her head into her arms, “If they had something we just got it.”

              “Don’t panic yet.” Cora told Peebee, but it was obvious she thought they were just as infected, the way she kept far more distance than necessary between them.

              Vetra hugged herself, “Yeah. SAM says it’s not bad, right?” She sounded far more composed than Peebee did, at least.

              “Everyone needs to settle down. I’m going to get a scan of the quarians and talk to whoever’s in there. Addision’s going to flip.”

              “I’m going to flip!” Cora growled, “They’ve just been here! Sick! And people have been traveling all over the damn cluster from here!”

              “Well there’s not reports of anyone sick anywhere, so let’s keep our heads on straight.” Ryder forced herself not to show an ounce of the stress pushing down on her. The first thing they would need to know was exactly who traveled where, which meant Addison would put her up to that project—which was near impossible considering the endemic lack of record keeping which existed in exile territory.

              The sun baked on the shoulders of Ryder’s armor as she hiked across the ankle deep sand up to the structure the exiles used as their makeshift first aid center. Ryder raised her hand to knock on the door , startling as it was thrown open, nearly into her.

              “Pathfinder. Great. Have something to show you.” The asari medic growled.

              “Quarians.”

              “Look at her! Good at guessing! Want to explain—” She marched Ryder up to a bed, a body covered in a sheet which she yanked back, “why the hell we’ve been living with this?! They’ve been here a week and then last night happened! All three dropped of the same illness! Why hasn’t the Nexus answered any of my calls?”

              She went off, yelling about exposure and incubation periods, about how the Nexus refused to communicate with her because they still blocked most exile communication. But Ryder struggled to follow her, operating her scanner with a shaking hand. She saw the body of the quarian man. He was thin, even for his species. Purple blood clotted around his nose and dried inside the oxygen mask which was left on his face. He was twisted, limbs gnarled, fingers tangled in his under suit as if he’d been clawing at his chest, “Cyro sickness? Busted suit?” She tried weakly, but it was clear the asari wasn’t entertaining either of those explanations.

              The sweet stink of death overcame Ryder, growing stronger with each inhale until she couldn’t take it and had to turn away from the bed. It didn’t help, the stench was too strong. SAM’s protection or not, being so close to someone who’d died of some infectious disease made every fiber of her self-preservation propel her from the medical bay.

              Ryder sucked in gasps of hot albeit fresh Elaaden air. Cora moved toward her, reaching out a hand, “Don’t…don’t touch me. I might puke.”  Unlike Peebee she managed to keep her breakfast down, but it took concentration. She paced a line back and forth, staring at the sparkling grains of sand and her overlapping footprints left in it, swallowing and swallowing until the urge to vomit passed her. The women gave Ryder her space, but she still felt their eyes on her.

              “SAM?” She croaked.

              Perhaps noting her distress he stayed on the private channel this time, and she swore his voice sounded placating: **The same viral infection seems present in the quarian victim. Likely the cause of death.  Pathfinder, please remember quarians suffer from severe immunodeficiency. Most harmless ailments for other species can result in death for quarians.**

“Yeah. Right. Okay.” It didn’t make her feel much better, but Ryder forced herself to straighten her posture, “Okay, we’re going to be okay. We’re going to talk to the leadership and see where we go from here.”

\----

This is the first time in an eon I’ve written a plot heavy fic. Should be about 8 chapters when said and done.  

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**(Welcome back to my fic : ) Thanks so much to all of my readers)**

**If you want to flail around with me about MEA some more, check me out on tumblr: Jkit45**

**Sorry this chapter is so long, like two of the planned in one, it just kind of happened that way.**

**Chapter 2:**

NEW RULES:

Dear Pathfinder, Vetra, Peebee, Lexi, Cora, Jaal and Liam,

Considering current events regarding germs on Elaaden, those of us who remain on the ship are concerned about decreasing our chances of exposure.

Therefore we’ve locked the airlock. (I’m sorry!)

  1. You will decontaminate yourselves and armor with the lights and spray your boots with the disinfectant I’ve left for you (do this before proceeding to rule 2).
  2. You will not breathe on us. The bridge is for the non-exposed only. Don’t cross the tape line. We will be staying there.
  3. Disinfect everything you touch in the bathroom and kitchen after each use.
  4. Thanks : )



\--Love,

Suvi and Kallo xxxxxx AND GIL

P.S. please sign at the bottom and we’ll unlock the airlock.

              Ryder punched the controls for the decontamination lights as was standard procedure whenever entering the ship.

              “Your kind is very willing to discuss the ramifications of illness.” Jaal commented, “I’m not sure how I feel about it.”

              “At least you have antibodies.” Liam yanked the piece of notebook paper from the wall. Lexi was the only one who still had her respirator on, “Is that a thing that’s okay to say?”

              “That’s okay.” Jaal decided after a moment, “I must admit I’ve never thought in detail about this.” 

              “Suvi told me yesterday that she was out of paper!” Peebee complained.

              “Why did you need paper?” Ryder took the sheet from Liam’s hand.

              “I was working on a…. project.” Knowing Peebee that could be anything.

              She had bigger things to worry about. Mainly getting her crew into the ship so she could get on the vidcom with Addison who’d sent her nineteen emails in the time it took to get back to the _Tempest._

              Ryder decided to pull the pen off the wall and made herself the first to sign (“she had a pen, too?” Peebee cried). “Liam and Lexi might want to try this, you two had masks on.”

              “I don’t anymore. The guy panicked when he couldn’t breathe and ripped it off. If it’s got the infection rate SAM’s saying it’s going to get in the ship air.”

              “Maybe it’s worth a try.” Ryder heaved a sigh.

              “I wasn’t in the medical bay with the quarians.” Cora hugged her arms around herself.  

              “You were talking to how many people who were also exposed at the outpost? Didn’t SAM say it’s airborne?”  Vetra was terse. Probably because she’d been marched up to a quarian cadaver without knowing what the asari medic was planning to show her, “And now you’re stuck in here with the rest of us.”

              “Don’t come near me.” Cora told her, turning to Ryder, “What if you scanned us?”  

              “We’re all packed in here.”

              “Do you really want to know?” Ryder wasn’t sure she would in their position, “We were all exposed in one way or another. Except for Lexi granted her respirator is working.”

              _“It’s likely at this stage your viral load is too small to detect on the scanner.”_ SAM chimed in, _“I was able to pick up viral infection in Director Kandros and APEX but they’ve had two additional days of incubation.”_

              “Maybe longer if they had contact with the Elaaden exiles before getting to the outpost. Peebee, what the heck are you doing with that disinfectant?” Her elbow somehow ended up in Ryder’s ribs while she tried to lift her knee to spray the bottom of her boot,  “Ow, watch yourself.”

              “You’re standing on my foot, Ryder.” Cora said.

              “Sorry. Too many people in here.”

              “Can I get out?” Jaal asked, reaching over Liam’s head to press the intercom button, “Suvi? Gil? Angara don’t get sick… according to SAM.”

              A pause before Suvi responded, _“Did you decontaminate? Everyone?”_

              “Everybody sign her sheet! Spray yourselves with this stuff!” Ryder pushed the paper into Peebee’s arms and the disinfectant into Vetra’s. The asari used the wall to sign her name before passing it to Cora.

              “I’m not infected.” Her XO decided, arms folded over her chest, but a stare down from Vetra and Lexi ended with Cora snatching the paper.

              As promised, Suvi let them in. She, Gil and Kallo had been busy. An air mattress and two cots were behind the control panels. A tape line on the floor separating the escape pod and airlock from the rest of the bridge.  Their science officer held a bottle of aerosol disinfectant at them like a gun. Ryder hadn’t realized how much they had, but considering the surgical masks the three of them were wearing, she figured they robbed Lexi’s stash.

              “Sorry, Pathfinder.” Suvi’s squared shoulders fell forward.

              “If we get sick…nobody will be around to fly the ship.” Kallo explained, almost cowering behind their science officer.

              Cora looked desperately to Gil, “Hey. If you don’t get sick you join us up here. Simple enough.”

              This whole plan seemed rather flawed, but she didn’t have time to argue it. She had to get on the coms with Addison.

              Ryder caught their Director of Colonial Affaires up on the current situation. More than half of the meeting had been Addison talking off screen to Tann, who for some reason was unwilling to step into the view of the communications console.

              The rest was answering a barrage of questions about the events on Elaaden.

              For a few minutes the hologram disappeared, and Ryder wondered if the panel had malfunctioned until Addison’s image reappeared before her. _“Change of plans! We’ve got a location on the ark! Not sure if there’s time to rescue survivors, but we were able to trace the distress call sent from the quarian Pathfinder. Sarissa is heading to the coordinates but you have a unique resource with Dr. T’Perro’s experience. It’s likely those alive are in dire need of medical help.”_

“You mean he’s alive?” Ryder clarified. Risking a second exposure of her crewmates was something she wasn’t excited for, but if the ark housed survivors and information on this contagion it was worth the trip.

              _“Yes. But for how long is uncertain. The Elaaden exiles having contact with this virus is a huge emergency. There have been countless shipments from there in the last three standard days, and early scans of the Nexus have shown traces of viral particles matching the scans you’ve sent from your SAM. This might be too late to contain. We need to know what we’re dealing with. Work on a vaccine is underway but such things take time.”_

“I get it. It’s an emergency. Hopefully it’s nothing dangerous to non-quarians.”

              _“Here’s to hoping.”_ Addison replied after a moment, _“The angaran biologists working on the Nexus got their hands on SAM’s scans. They’re in agreement that angara should harbor immunity to this strain.”_

“On less thing to worry about.” Last thing they needed to add to this mess was infecting the angara with whatever bug had traveled here with them.

  _“Might be paranoia, but reports are coming in from our intelligence network members who’ve had access to badlands camps on Kadara.”_

She waited in silence for Addison to finish the thought, but the woman didn’t. Ryder’s curiosity got the best of her, “What are they saying?”

              _“There’s a cough going around. We don’t know if there’s any connection. We’re trying to get ahold of scans or samples from people showing symptoms. I’ll be in touch.”_

And before Ryder could ask any of the other dozen questions on the tip of her tongue, Addison  hung up.

              _Shit._

              Briefing her crew standing on the pathway between the bridge and the conference room was less than ideal. Besides, if the virus was airborne and more than half of her team was exposed, it was probably in their ventilation system. Nonetheless, Ryder wasn’t about to negate the efforts of Suvi, Gil and Kallo. They were right—without Kallo, the ship didn’t fly.

              “Don’t think you’re overreacting?” Vetra asked Suvi.

              “No. Sorry. Best to limit exposure as best as we can for now.”

And Ryder hated how right Suvi was about that.

              After the meeting, Liam and Jaal reverted to their normal nighttime routine of nibbling their dinner rations and talking softly, seated comfortably in the chairs of the crew quarters.  Jaal was less than concerned about his exposure, especially with the new information from Addison and the angara at the Nexus.

              Peebee and Vetra stood with their backs against the wall, turned away from Cora’s open door. Cora plucked wilting leaves from her plants with enough aggression to take off the branches. Her cheeks were lightly flushed with stress, “You okay?” Ryder found herself hesitant to ask.

              “Dandy.” Cora huffed, “I will be. But let me be mad at leadership. And Elaaden. About this for a minute, Pathfinder.”

              “It’s…understandable.” Ryder wasn’t comfortable telling her second not to be upset over it. For some reason she was feeling unusually calm. As much as she ran through the worst case scenarios in her head, she couldn’t seem to get herself worked out about it. Maybe a part of that was SAM’s help.   

              “Cora.” Vetra leaned against the wall, “These biological contaminants, weapons. They were everywhere in the Milly Way. People shipped weaponized things everywhere, and most of them were a complete sham.”

              “Why didn’t the Alliance hear about?” Cora retorted.

              “Really?” Peebee looked at Vetra with as much interest as a child waiting for a story.

              “Underground. All of the time. We spilled one once, none of us got sick. Whoever packaged it had a strain that was a dud.”

              Cora turned from her plants, letting the leaf she held fall from her grasp, “What did you do?”

              “I wasn’t going to see _that ‘Heart’ doctor_ my band used—same one who ended up in trouble for organ trafficking. So basically waited it out a day or two until I didn’t get sick. Sid had gone on a trip with school when I was working that job, so it ended up alright.”

              “So that’s your professional opinion?” Peebee whispered, “We’re going to be fine?”

              “I think we’ll be fine.” Vetra glanced over her shoulder into the XO’s room.  

              Peebee coughed, and Cora yelled at her to cover her mouth.

              Ark _Keelah Si'yah_ was a derelict as they approached to dock. She, Liam and Jaal suited up in the airlock, waiting on Lexi to make her way from the medbay. She arrived, looking uncomfortable in the armored suit. A heavy pack of medical supplies which Liam took from her and slung onto his own back.  Jaal was theoretically immune. Liam and Lexi had medical training. This was the best team given the situation.

              “You ready, doctor?”

              She stretched her neck, turning to Liam at his question, “As I’ll ever be.”  

              _“Pathfinder, this is Sarissa.”_

              “Reading you.” Ryder said, her voice echoed inside of her helmet. In the dim light she could see the reflection of her own face against the shield. Did the bags under her eyes always look this prominent?

                 _“We need Doctor T’Perro. ASAP. The quarian pathfinder is down.”_

“On our way, Pathfinder.” Ryder assured, and with a click the transmission ended.

              Docking in a deathly silent ark never felt any better than it had the first time. The lights were off in the wing where the Kallo managed to attach—maintaining the power saving mode which was the protocol for flight through dark space.

              “Where are you, Sarissa?”

 _“Sending the navpoint now.”_ The connection crackled with static.

              Lexi shifted beside them, she reached out to take the pack back from Liam, “Do we have a way to get him to a hospital? A real one?”

“There’s a med-evac coming to transport him to the _Nexus._ Better quarantined than the _Tempest_.” Ryder told her.

              _So dark and cold in here._ Was it actually cold? That was a misnomer about space. It wasn’t actually cold. But the dark, sterile space illuminated by the blue beam of her flashlight made every fiber of her being feel like it must be. “Where has this disease originated?” Jaal asked her.

              “That’s a very good question. Every ark should have been meticulously cleaned after boarding to reduce the risk of a situation like this arising. Beyond that, six-hundred years and change was more than enough time for viruses to expire.”

              They traveled down dead silent rows of cyro pods, their inhabitants alive and in good health, according to SAM. “So whatever it is hasn’t reached here.”

              Liam gazed up the rows of sleepers, “Nowhere to spread, sealed pods.” 

              “At least that’s going for us.” Ryder muttered. They came to the bay where Sarissa and her team restored power. Buzzing florescent lights and stark white walls. Three more victims, rested on cots draped with sterile plastic tents as quarians used when removing their suits for medical procedures.

              Ryder was thankful for the sealed environment of her suit. The bodies were in rigor, as it was hours past death, but the same symptoms remained apparent. Dark blood pooled around the quarian’s noses, splatters from coughing on the plastic coverings.

              “It’s not just quarians anymore.” Sarissa said, motioning to another form on one of the beds. From the way she was dressed, Ryder assumed the drell was a doctor. She was curled on her side, motionless with blood pooled around her mouth and nose, seeped into the linens. Limbs curled and angled.

              “Drell…often have a… poor prognosis with respiratory diseases.” Lexi was clearly troubled by the sight, turning from her body and heaving a breath.  “Where’s the pathfinder?”

              “Somebody’s coming out of this alive!” Liam beat Ryder to the proverbial punch with that thought. Sarissa’s teammates cleared the way for them to rush into the adjacent room. Two asari crouched over a prone form.  

              “He’s going down fast.” Sarissa told them, kneeling down. Ryder cringed—that wasn’t something good to say in front of a struggling patient, “We got medigel in him but it’s wearing off.”

              The quarian gasped out something which Ryder’s translator didn’t pick up before he fell back into a fit of coughing, gasping and twisting his spine.

              “Get this suit off of him!” Lexi ordered, “He’s already exposed!” She softened her demeanor: “Hi there. I’m Doctor T’Perro, you’re in good hands, Pathfinder. We’re going to get you to the Nexus.”

              They did as they were ordered, yanking off his helmet and pulling open the chest of his clean suit.

              He was open mouthed, coughing and gasping, blood pouring from his nose. Ryder sunk to her knees at his side, afraid to touch him as she didn’t want to cause any more pain than he clearly was in, “I’m Pathfinder Ryder.” She kept her voice calm, “What happened here?”

              Her breathed, open mouthed, “Weapon….biological…” _That bodes well._ But she made herself stay calm, nodding while he fought for his breath, he caught her gloved hand, “On board.”   

              “What hurts?” Lexi asked him, gripping his wrist, “Your chest?”

              Liam had an oxygen mask out, pressing it to the man’s face. He nodded desperately, knees drawing up and turning as he tried to breathe. Lexi ran her scanner, “Oxygen is low. He’s hypotensive, heart rate is way too fast for his blood pressure to be this low. High fever.”

              “Is he bleeding into his chest?” Liam turned the pathfinder’s head to the side, letting the blood pour from his nose, “Where is this coming from?”

              “Don’t know.” Lexi breathed, “Turn up the oxygen. Where is that evac?”

              She put her hands on the man’s chest, and then pressed along his neck. He gasped once more and fell limp. Liam swore, running his knuckles harshly over the man’s chest.

              “Hey! Stay with us, Pathfinder.” Lexi said, something pinged on her scanner, “He’s flat lining! Liam? Airway?”

              “Got it.”

              Ryder watched. Her stomach twisted and  heart in her throat while Lexi clasped her hands together, positioned them palms down on his sternum,  and started to compress. Liam pushed a different mask over his face, one for resuscitation, squeezing the bag to force air into his nose and mouth.

              “Get another dose of medigel into him! And a line!” Lexi was unwavering in the pace of her compressions. “Where’s that evac?!”

              “They’re docking now!”

              “Ryder, I think I’ve got to stay with him.” She sounded exerted, but kept up her movements, “And I might need Liam. Depending on who the Nexus sent.”     

              “Of course.” Who was she to say that her two medically trained teammates couldn’t help the critically ill quarian being transported? She figured the _Tempest_ would be close behind them. If they were allowed to return to the _Nexus_ , that was.

              Ryder watched helplessly as Liam and Lexi loaded the man onto the stretcher brought down the corridors of the ark. In a blink Lexi climbed upon the bed as well, flung a thigh over his chest to straddle him, and continued the chest compressions.  Ryder’s knees quivered with adrenaline while she watched them leave.

              She bent down, resting her hands on her shaking legs, willing them to stop—Jaal clasped a strong hand on her shoulder. She’d forgotten he was there momentarily, “They’ll be alright. Do you need to sit?”

              “No. I’m worried about that pathfinder. And our crew.”

              Jaal squeezed— the weight of his hand helped her return to reality and still the twitching in her knees, “We will pick them up from the _Nexus.”_

              “Right. Of course.”

              “You’re going to want to see this, Ryder.” Sarissa emerged from a floodlit hallway, “Your suits are airtight, right?”

              “Space-proof.” Yes, they had checked the seals on their suits before disembarking. Just as they always did. Standard procedure. Nonetheless, Sarissa making such a comment made her edgy.

              The hastily assembled floodlights led them down a hallway to an erected polyethylene barrier. Ryder had seen these temporary barriers before: in labs where they’d studied prothean artifacts and didn’t want outside pathogens to damage any of their delicate organic findings. Though, she figured this case was to keep something in rather than out.

They crossed under portable sterilizing lights and had the barrier sealed behind them. Into a storage closet—sterile packages of gauze, locked cases of injectable drugs for cyro sickness, draping paper, gloves. Ryder squinted around, trying to see what Sarissa was looking for, but the asari went to it. “It’s been sterilized, sitting under lights.” She said. It was a broken cylindrical tank, meant to keep viral samples contained and safely frozen.

“In a storage closet?”

“I don’t like the sound of that.” Jaal hadn’t fully entered the closet. He peered in from outside the door.

“Fell off the shelf and broke open when they hit the scourge. Meaning it wasn’t well sealed in the first place.”

“What the hell was it doing in a storage closet?” Ryder took a step back. Even though the viral contents were allegedly removed and cleaned, and she wore a suit,  it remained unnerving to have so close to her.

“You tell me.” Sarissa plunked the heavy metallic container back on the shelf, “Waiting for the wrong person to not know what it was and open it? Nexus is sending a clean-up crew to comb through this place before any more of the colonists come out of stasis, but it’s an aerosol, and most our population’s been exposed thanks to some people who panicked and jumped ship.”

“That was…an unfortunate, selfish decision they made.” Jaal stepped back to let the two out the door, “But I cannot imagine what being trapped here must have been like.”

“Not sure I want to.”

Several hours of combing through accessible areas of the ship turned up little. A few notes written by the drell doctor before she herself fell ill, detailing the discovery of a biological agent on board and the malfunctions of quarian clean-suits due to radiation of the scourge frying the electrical components.

Her omni-tool buzzed—Addison.

“Better pick it up.” Sarissa hovered close.

 _“Pathfinder…Pathfinders.”_ Addison amended,  noticing Sarissa over her shoulder. For the first time in a while Ryder saw Addison look almost happy, _“Good. Glad to see you both. Pathfinder Queri Vas Neemah has been stabilized—thanks for sparing your people, Ryder.”_

“Good. That’s good.”     

_“His condition is critical, but it’s better. Beyond that there is some truly good news--we might have gotten lucky. Five days post exposure in many cases with an almost eighty-five percent infection rate across species, the Nexus and colonies. The worst reported outside of quarians and drell is a low grade temperature and a cough. Might be too early to say, but it looks like we’ve dodged a bullet. If this was planted before ark launch as a biological weapon, it could likely be directed at the species on ark Keelah Si'yah. For what reason eludes us.”_

Ryder let out a breath, closing her eyes and feeling her knees want to start shaking again. But this time out of relief. _No one dead on the Nexus. Just the run of the mill space-farers’ cold._ “Good to hear. Thank the Goddess.” Sarissa closed her eyes, “My crew has been on the edge of panic over this and our trading with an Elaaden crew.”

_“Don’t get too comfortable yet. But none of the reported symptoms have been dangerous.”_

“A cough and fever. Got it. No worse than the flu.”

Addison didn’t seem amused at the statement, but ploughed on, _“You’ve done well. Both of you.”_

“How should I…best go about picking up Dr. T’Perro and Liam Kosta?”

 _“Come to the Nexus.”_ Addison answered, _“As much as it pains me to say— there’s no point of you keeping away. Most of our population here is positive in scans for the virus.”_

“How are people doing?” Images of mass panic flashed behind Ryder’s eyes—people charging barriers and being shot while zombified viral victims closed in behind them. Again, she mentally chided herself for watching far too many movies with Scott.

_“Better than we could hope. All reports are telling of nothing more than to prepare for  Andromeda’s version of a seasonal bug. Our hospital is as ready as it can be with extra fluids and anti-virals for the inevitable few who end up there. Advertisements reminding workers to stay hydrated. Reminds me a bit too much of illness season on the Citadel. Some angaran medical staff working as ambassadors have offered help on the off chance we need it.”_

So they’d downplayed the situation through the initiative’s news stations. Typical.  But that was better than denying it in the first place.

They decontaminated their suits once before entering the _Tempest_ airlock, and twice more once inside.  

Peebee sat at the edge of the tape line, wearing a surgical mask and learning how to count black-jack cards from Gil who sat on the other side, “Teaching her the secrets?”

“My talents can’t be taught. But at least I can make her win black-jack.”

“And get arrested because I suck at this.” Peebee snorted behind her mask, “This is too much math to do in my head. And I don’t know how to play black-jack.”

“I’m teaching you right now, crazy. Pay attention.”

Suvi spun around in her chair, “The Nexus is actually letting us back?”

“The virus is on the Nexus. Us staying away won’t make a difference.”

“Okay.” Kallo added, “But the line’s on the floor. Until we know for sure. Sorry.”

“Understandable. How many more days are you going to stick this out? Must be getting kind of boring up here.”

“We’re managing.” Gil didn’t look up from his game.

Peebee swore, flapping her hand and then gripping her wrist, “You alright, Peebee? Keep dropping your cards.”      

“Did something to my hand. My knuckles are killing me.” Peebee snorted, “Where’s that doctor when you need her?”

“She’s on the Nexus. I’m sure she won’t mind taking a look for you.”

 Peebee didn’t seem too worse for wear.

 Ryder showered and returned to her quarters, paging Vetra as soon as her report was finished. Now that they weren’t at immediate risk, might as well enjoy the trip to the Nexus.

The turian curled on the couch, tucking her chin into her carapace and yawning. Ryder sidled up to Vetra, pulling her tired form down to rest her head on her stomach. Vetra hummed happily, “You okay? After all this? Liam and Jaal had to talk some stuff out earlier in the crew quarters.”

Ryder closed her eyes, trying to push away images of the bodies and the gasping Pathfinder Queri which danced through her psyche, “I will be. Just hope he pulls through this. How’s Cora? I knocked but she didn’t open the door. I didn’t want to wake her.”

“Good. She finally went to sleep, so I’m glad you didn’t. She was refusing to go to bed until she knew she wasn’t needed on the ark.” Vetra wrapped her arms around Ryder’s leg, “Addison’s report made her feel better.”

“So when was the last time you slept, Nyx? You dishing the judgement out on Cora here for the same habits?” She laughed.

“I’m used to staying up.”

“I know you are.” _And so is Cora._ She could tell Vetra about how she hated the way she ran herself ragged with work like she had a million times before, but she let it go. It never worked anyway—other than Vetra simply stopped telling her about the extra shifts she picked up, “No fever. Coughing?” She pressed her hand to Vetra’s neck.

 “I feel fine.”

“Do your necks get warm when you have a fever?”

“Sure. But using a scanner tends to work better than by feel. And I’m fine. So don’t get up to scan me.” They adjusted themselves into a more comfortable position on the couch, Vetra’s head remained on her belly.  Ryder rubbed her forehead plate and watched her finally give in to her nodding off. Green eyes closed and face pressed into the material of her shirt.

Ryder traced the ridges of Vetra’s brow while she slept, matching her breathing to that of her girlfriend. This position was surprisingly comfortable, even with Vetra partially on top of one of her legs and her other draped over her carapace. Ryder leaned her head sideways into the cushion.

So warm and comfortable. An occasional sleeping twitch of Vetra’s mandible against her. Ryder smiled and rested her fingertips to meet her mandible was she to flick it again.  Might as well rest her own eyes for a while.  

              Hours later, Vetra startled Ryder awake when she pushed up from her, hacking a shallow, dry cough.

              “You okay?”

              “Fine. Dry throat.” Vetra stood. Her right leg hitched and she walked stiffly, as if she couldn’t bend the joints and had to shuffle. She stifled another cough, “Need water.”

              Ryder frowned, “You’re limping.” She hadn’t been earlier, had she?

              “Must’ve—” She cut off, rubbing her throat with her talons and making a hawking noise, “Slept on my hocks funny. Sorry to wake you. I’ll be right back.”

**Yay! End with Vetryder cuddles. Hope y’all enjoyed. I totally made up a name for the quarian pathfinder but if he has a canon one please let me know.**

**Drop me a kudos or comment ; )**

               

             


	3. Chapter 3

**Ft. awkward sex talks courtesy of Lexi.**

**Chapter 3:**

Ryder woke up before her alarm. Cotton-mouthed and with pins and needles in her hand  from the way she’d rested it beneath her head. _Water._ A few blinks to force the sleepiness from her eyes, a dim pounding at the back of her head which was her usual aftermath of stress. _Like a ‘stress hangover’!_

              Peebee would appreciate that newfound name for it more than anyone else, but Ryder turned to Vetra anyway. They’d migrated to the bed after Vetra got up during the night. Though, her girlfriend was sleeping, and Ryder didn’t want to disturb her. It was better to let everyone get some rest after the stress of Elaaden.

              She checked her omni-tool. Over three hours before _Nexus_ docking. Enough time for a bit more rest. Ryder bent down and pressed her lips to Vetra’s mandible.

              Vetra blinked, mandible twitching, “Everything okay?”

              “Fine.” Ryder assured, “Sleep. I’m getting a cup of coffee. Want some?”

              “No…thanks, though.” Vetra raised her head to check their time on her own omni-tool and rested back down, “I’ll be up soon.”

              Ryder found Cora and Peebee in the galley. The latter of the two slept sprawled on the bench at the table. Cora smiled at Ryder, glanced at Peebee, and rolled her eyes. Ryder did her best not to laugh when Cora smirked and shook her head. Of course. Where else would Peebee decide to sleep?  

              “Sleep tight?” Cora asked, rummaging through the cabinet for a ration biscuit.

              Ryder turned the coffee machine on and placed her mug beneath it, waiting for it to brew a single serving, “Fine. Can’t complain. What about you?”

              “Better than I thought I would after everything the last few days.” Cora grimaced and set down her own coffee mug to rub her shoulder. She rotated her arm back and forth, working the soreness out of a stiff joint.

              “You okay?”

              “Please, Ryder. Like you don’t get sore sometimes.”       

              “Vetra is the one who denies that… vehemently. Not me.”

              Peebee adjusted herself, smacked her lips, and buried a dry cough into the crook of her arm. Cora snatched the aerosol disinfectant from the counter and misted Peebee with it. She replaced the can, grabbed her coffee and cleared her throat, “That a cough, Cora?” Ryder teased.

              _Okay. Not funny at all._ But she couldn’t help herself. “Nope.” Cora rolled her shoulders back to straighten her posture, nibbling the edge of the ration biscuit, “But that turian in the your room and this girl have been. Maybe you should spray Vetra down with that stuff too.” No longer having a free hand, she pointed with her foot at Peebee.

“Speak for yourself.” Peebee turned on her back. Awake now, apparently. She looked up at them with her head hanging off the bench, “I heard you hackin’ a lung or two up last night, Harper.”

Cora’s flushed lightly. This might have been the first time she saw Cora blush, “Think you’ve been called out.” Ryder took her cup from the machine, mixing in some of their artificial cream powder and sweetener.  

“That was just a tickle in my throat.” Cora turned to face Ryder, “I’m not sick at all.”

“Maybe we should spray _you_ down with ‘that stuff’.” Ryder teased, nudging the disinfectant can so it was neatly placed against the wall.

The Nexus carried on as usual. And that was a relief for Ryder. She wasn’t sure what she’d been fearing but her mind was back on the topics of horror films—people in clean suits forcefully taking them off the ship. She had mentioned that one to Vetra.

              And Vetra responded with a side-eyed glare.

              She separated from her girlfriend at the docks, letting Vetra tend to her business with her contacts while Ryder went about finding Liam and Lexi. A few people wore surgical masks or scarves over their noses and mouths, but otherwise no one seemed terribly bothered.

              Lexi and Liam were with Dr. Carlyle in the medical wing of the _Nexus._ They spoke in hushed tones, huddled together, all wearing surgical masks. Ryder bit back the sudden surge of anxiety. Had something changed that she didn’t know? She forced herself to ask anyway, awkward and stuttering: “H-How’s Pathfinder—”

              “Stable. But not improving. Giving him the best antivirals for quarians we have. So it’s a waiting game.” Lexi sighed.

              “Without an immune system it’s hard to make an immune response.” Dr. Carlyle added, turning to Ryder.

              “So with the infection rate being what it is. How worried do we be?” Liam’s voice was tight like he repressed a cough. Maybe she was being paranoid over it. Thinking everyone was sick now. “The Nexus only has a limited supply of antivirals.”

              “Synthesizing them isn’t the problem. It’s whether they work against this strain. You were exposed five days ago? Five as of tonight?” Dr. Carlyle turned to Liam.

              “Yes. Correct.” He cleared his throat.

              “Feel sick? Nobody’s been hospitalized besides the quarian Pathfinder with a ruptured suit.”

              “Coughed a bit last night.” Liam sounded hesitant to admit it. Not that Ryder blamed him. As much as she busted Cora’s balls earlier she’d probably be doing the same.

              “Who hasn’t coughed in the last twenty-four hours?” Lexi turned to Ryder, “Maybe not you. With SAM. But it is still worrisome until we know for sure what the full course of the illness is for the majority of those exposed.”

              “I agree. Who’s had this and made a full recovery?” Maybe Liam’s question was rhetorical. But Dr. Carlyle and Lexi avoided his gaze.

              “Angara have antibodies. A few more severe cases that have been administered antivirals are on Elaaden, according to intelligence.” Dr. Carlyle brushed at his sleeve, ”It’s a waiting game.”

“Yes, but the man who was struggling to breathe last night on Elaaden suffers from chronic respiratory disease.” Lexi pointed out, “It’s not a fair test of the dangers of this disease on a healthy public. Even so. It’s best to be prepared.”

“Vaccine?” Ryder tried to keep herself hopeful.

“Even so, it wouldn’t help people if they got to a point of being real sick.” Liam folded his arms over his chest.

“Vaccines don’t tend to work when there’s already an immune response. So vaccinating to people showing symptoms might be too late.” Lexi continued, “We need an antiviral. Or a serum.”

  “Plans are underway to develop a serum from the angaran antibodies. If some volunteers submit to blood draws, that is. Word is an exile doctor on Kadara has beat us to it.” Dr. Carlyle looked between them, “Unfortunately, he works alongside a salarian who enjoys a side of red-sand with his research.”

“Well. Nobody’s sick enough to need a serum. Hopefully the antivirals work if we need them.” If Lexi could be so positive, Ryder was determined to be too. It was probably harder for Liam and Lexi to start, given they’d had to watch the quarian pathfinder fight for his life.

Vortex was as loud as it normally was. A turian and an asari grouped each other and ended up against the back of Lexi’s chair. She scowled and leaned forward when her head was nearly met by an elbow spur and the two scattered to the other side of the room.

 _Guess they’re not worried about getting sick._ Ryder thought. Lexi hadn’t touched the drink she bought her, a glass of wine of which she rested her fingers on the base.

“How are your hands?” Liam asked her.

“Sore. Still. Not used to doing resuscitations like that.” She rubbed the back of her knuckles, and finally, although it seemed to take her quite a bit of effort, took a sip of her wine. With a shaking hand she set the glass back down and immediately rubbed her knuckles.

“Looks painful.” Ryder frowned.

Lexi opened her mouth to say something and then turned her head to the side, coughing, “You okay, Doc?” Liam asked her.

“Fine.” Lexi croaked. And Ryder noticed Liam rubbing his own elbow, “This is what you constitute fun? This loud place?” Her voice strained over the thumping bass, “Sorry. Too judgmental?”  

“Just a bit.” Ryder smirked. Scott flicked his sister on the back before taking the seat next to her.

“Missing a show?” He asked. Ryder raised her hand to help him flag down a waitress. Scott pointed to her with his thumb, informing the rest of the table: “She knew I wanted a drink because we’re telepathic.”

“Right. You were telling me.” Liam finished his off in time for the lady to come back and get a refill for him and a starter for Scott.

“Don’t be jealous. We know we’re gifted and stay modest over it.” Ryder nodded along. It was the same charade they’d put on since elementary school. When you were a Ryder jokes you found funny never got old, they just evolved with time.

“Like right now.” Scott leaned forward, “She’s thinking about how to get out of here to get with her girlfriend.”

“Hey!” Ryder kicked him, weakly sideways, beneath the table, “Not in front of Lexi, that’s weird.”

But Lexi was Lexi, and Lexi had no boundaries on what was weird or not to bring up in a setting away from shop talk, “How _is that_ going, Ryder?” She used two hands to lift her wine glass, unable to grip the stem, “no…issues?”

Ryder squinted at her, confused as to where she was going with the statement, “No..?” Vetra was by far the healthiest relationship of her life if that was what Lexi asked of her.

“I mean…no isses. No turian-human issues? Chafing—?”

“Lexi!”

Scott made a dramatic retch and pushed out from his seat, “Don’t wanna know!”

Liam laughed, “So it does work as well as they say with turians, then?”

“Can we not talk about this—”

He leaned in like they were in middle school and she harbored a great secret, “Wait. Between you and me. Does it work pretty well—” Did that mean he _actually_ was talking to a turian girl last time he was at the bar?

“That the hell,  Liam?!”

**_Ryder, your heartrate has spiked significantly at this conversation. Would you be more comfortable if I paged Vetra to be a part of this as it pertains to her as well?_ **

“No! SAM!”

“What’s SAM saying?” Scott had returned, “Are we done with this talk?”

Their medic turned to Liam, “As I told Ryder: so long as you use adequate lubrication if you meet any discomfort—”

“Lexi!” Ryder tossed back the remains of her vodka tonic, “Can we not talk about my sex life right now?” An awkward silence settled, and Ryder found herself as desperate to break it as she was to start it in the first place, “Uh…Next time that waitress comes back. We should…probably get a round of something sent to the _Tempest.”_

Scott made a face at her, Liam caught him up on the situation with Suvi, Kallo and Gil dug into the bridge until the illness passed. They shot the breeze for a few more minutes, huddled at their table, stopping uncomfortably when the noise of an occasional dry cough from the table behind them carried its way over.

“Well. Hate to run off on you all so suddenly. But I’ve got to get going.” Scott slung his coat over his shoulders.

By that time Vetra had texted Ryder to meet her in Operations, and Ryder was more than happy to oblige. That was where she and Sid had an apartment, after all, and hopefully Sid still worked nights.

Another male turian walked past, he held his hip. _What is with everyone and their freakin ailments today?_ And then Ryder thought of none other than the stupid bug from the quarian ark. _Shit._ Joint pain could happen with viruses. _Nothing. Hopefully it’s nothing. Everyone gets aches and pains with the flu when their immune system is fighting it off._

Her omnitool pinged again. An email this time. Ryder’s nerves prickled when she realized it was from Addison, coming from a secure _Nexus_ address.  

_Pathfinder,_

_There have been a few severe confirmed cases on Elaaden. More so than before. Respiratory distress with coughing. We’re keeping an eye on it. Just wanted you to know. Contact me immediately if you see anything._

_\--Dir. Addison_

              So that meant tonight was probably going to be interrupted by another emergency meeting, though leadership hadn’t scheduled it yet. Ryder felt several meters out of her depth. How was she supposed to handle people getting sick? She could do a lot—but weapons and negotiation skills didn’t do much of anything against a virus.

              Maybe they’d have to fly out to Elaaden with antivirals. It wasn’t much but it was something. She had Liam and Lexi, too, whose medical training far surpassed her own from the Alliance. They could render some relief for exhausted medical staff if worst came to worst.

              She got to Operations, glad to see Vetra and Sid conversing at a table. Sid nibbled a ration bar, “Lunch break?”

              “Yeah…Or late dinner break.” Sid grinned at her, “How’s my favorite pathfinder?”

              They exchanged their usual pleasantries before Sid returned to work and she joined Vetra on an evening walk through the dimming light of operations. “How are your legs doing?”

“Nothing bad.” Vetra answered her curtly, but she was stiff. Deliberate steps placed to look like she wasn’t, but Ryder normally struggled to keep pace with her tall girlfriend. Today was the opposite.  “How were Lexi and Liam?”

              “Tired. As expected. And nosy as ever.”

              “Nosy?” Vetra hustled to catch up to her. Ryder knew that she didn’t like to talk about aliments, and even less about entertaining the idea of needing to visit a doctor, so she let it be.

              “About…well…us…You don’t want to know.”

              Vetra made a noise that told Ryder she was able to infer exactly what they talked about.  “Hmm, well. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired. Maybe we could …get some sleep?” Vetra almost sounded timid to ask that,  “Sid’s working for another few hours.”

              “Vetra Nyx? Wanting to get sleep? Sound perfect.” Ryder hummed, gripping Vetra’s carapace and standing on her toes to give her a kiss, “I hate to say it but I might be called for a leadership meeting.”

              A pause, “Oh-no.”

              “It looks like it’s still okay. Just people who are…having underlying conditions and getting sicker.” Ryder sighed.

              They both jumped as a hacking cough echoed from the APEX office. Kandros hunched over the desk, bracing himself while his coughs grew deeper, rattling through his body.

              Ryder took a step closer.  Sajax had the same idea. The turian woman clucked her tongue at him.

              “I’m…okay.” He cleared his throat, then rubbed at it. Straightening slowly like he was afraid to—or too sore to— properly stand. He kept his hand on the desk.   _He looks like he’s in pain._

              Despite clenching his mandibles against his face, Kandros begun to pant, turning toward Ryder with wide eyes, “Pathfinder.” He said before letting his mouth fall open again, tongue resting on the tips of his lower jaw teeth—turians didn’t sweat. They panted when they were struggling to catch their breaths or cool down.

“Kandros. You don’t sound so good.”

“Don’t… worry about… me.” Blue dripped from his nose, turning into a steady stream down his top lip.

“You’re bleeding.” Ryder made a lunge for the paper towel roll on the desk. Blue droplets fell between Kandros’ fingers as he’d brought his hand up in a futile attempt to stint the flow.

He coughed again. She took a wad of the paper towel and shoved it against his face before he could send droplets of blood flying all over the office. The turian man leaned against her,  hunched over, gasping and coughing. Ryder pressed the wad against his nose and felt the warm, oiliness of blood on her fingers. _That’s a hell of a bloody nose!_ “Need more of these!” She called. Sajax was on it, taking her spot with a fresh wad. Ryder dropped the bloody mess of towels to the floor where it would be easier to clean.

“He needs a doctor.” Sajax met Ryder’s eyes. Kandros gripped his teammate’s arm.

Kandros started to say something, but resumed the coughing fit. With each one his legs rattled, and Ryder feared he might topple over. Once the hacking stopped he panted desperately, having to brace himself to keep on his feet.  As if he’d run for hours without water on Elaaden. Chest heaving and neck tinted blue, “Yeah. Yeah let’s go.”

“I got him.” Vetra slung his arm over her shoulders, helping him stay on his feet. Sajax had his other rested over her carapace. Kandros’ hocks and knees quivered. He leaned on Vetra, taking a fresh wad of towels from Sajax when she offered them and pressed it to his own nose.

“I’m bringing these.” Ryder snatched the roll of paper towels when Sajax put them down, “Hey! Hold that tram!”  

___

Thanks for reading. Clearly it’s all under control still. : ) See y’all soon.

  


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